Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Elegant Yomarjorie’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Elegant Yomarjorie’, characterized by its upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; duplex-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; dark coral red-colored ray florets; and natural season flowering in early October in the Northern Hemisphere.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denominaton: ‘Elegent Yomarjorie’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially known as a garden-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Elegant Yomarjorie’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good garden performance.

The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yomarjorie, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,820. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of the cultivar Yomarjorie in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in April, 2002. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive ray floret color and good garden performance.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since June, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Elegant Yomarjorie has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Elegant Yomarjorie’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Elegant Yomarjorie’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plants.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Duplex-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray         florets.     -   5. Dark coral red-colored ray florets.     -   6. Natural season flowering in early October in the Northern         Hemisphere.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the parent, the cultivar Yomarjorie, primarily in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar Yomarjorie had purple-colored ray florets. In addition, plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about six days later than plants of the cultivar Yomarjorie when grown under natural season conditions.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Zesty Yovanessa, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,537. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Zesty Yovanessa in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller than plants of         the cultivar Zesty Yovanessa.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about three days         later than plants of the cultivar Zesty Yovanessa when grown         under natural season conditions.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Zesty Yovanessa.     -   4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum had darker         colored ray florets and more disc florets than inflorescences of         plants of the cultivar Zesty Yovanessa.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Gedi One Gal, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,807. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Gedi One Gal in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were larger than plants of         the cultivar Gedi One Gal.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about one week         earlier than plants of the cultivar Gedi One Gal when grown         under natural season conditions.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were         smaller but more disc florets than inflorescences of plants of         the cultivar Gedi One Gal.     -   4. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more red         and retained color better than ray florets of plants of the         cultivar Gedi Two Gal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Elegant Yomarjorie’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of the cultivar ‘Elegant Yomarjorie’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada during the late summer and early fall in an outdoor nursery under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial garden-type Chrysanthemum production. One cutting was planted in a 15.25-cm container in mid-July, 2004. Plants were grown under natural season conditions. During the production of the plants, temperatures ranged from 10° to 32° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Elegant     Yomarjorie. -   Commercial classification: Duplex-type garden Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the     Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yomarjorie, disclosed in U.S.     Plant Pat. No. 13,820. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten to twelve days             at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Perennial herbaceous duplex-type             garden Chrysanthemum. Inverted triangle with mounded crown.             Stems initially upright, then somewhat outwardly spreading.             Freely branching with about nine primary branches with             lateral branches potentially forming at every node. Vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 29 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 45 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 26 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.             Internode length: About 2 cm. Aspect: Upright and outwardly             spreading. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146A.         -   Foliage description.—Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length:             About 5.2 cm. Width: About 4.4 cm. Apex: Cuspidate. Base:             Mostly truncate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses mostly             divergent. Texture, upper surface: Slightly pubescent.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent; veins prominent. Color:             Developing foliage, upper surface: Darker green than 147A.             Developing foliage, lower surface: More green than 147B.             Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Much darker green             than 147A. Developing foliage, lower surface: Close to 147A.             Venation, upper surface: Close to 147A. Venation, lower             surface: Close to 146A. Petiole length: About 1.7 cm.             Petiole diameter: About 3 mm. Petiole color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 146A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Duplex-type inflorescence form with elongated             oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals             above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Ray florets             developing acropetally on a capitulum. Very freely             flowering, about 35 inflorescences per lateral branch.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower in early October in the Northern Hemisphere.         -   Inflorescence bud (before showing color).—Height: About             5 mm. Diameter: About 6.5 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color (lower             surface of phyllaries): More green than 147A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 2.5 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.3 cm. Disc diameter: About 4 mm; conspicuous.             Receptacle diameter: About 4 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 1.25 cm.             Width: About 4 mm. Corolla tube length: About 2.5 mm.             Corolla tube diameter: About 1 mm. Apex: Mostly obtuse;             occasionally cuspidate or emarginate. Margin: Fused.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Surface: Concave to flat.             Orientation: Initially upright, then perpendicular to the             peduncle. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 172             in numerous whorls. Color: When opening, upper and lower             surfaces: Initially 154C, then 154C with close to 71A and             72A towards the apices. Fully opened, upper surface: Close             to 4D overlain with close to 71A and 72A. Fully opened,             lower surface: Close to 4D underlain with 71A and 72A.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About             3.5 mm. Width, apex: About 1.5 mm. Width, base: About 1 mm.             Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 32. Color:             Immature: 154B to 154C. Mature: Apex: 9A. Mid-section: 145C.             Base: 155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 24. Length:             About 6 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Acute.             Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface:             Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color,             upper surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: More             green than 147A.         -   Peduncle.—Length: First peduncle: About 5.2 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 9.6 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength:             Strong. Aspect: About 45° from vertical. Texture: Pubescent.             Color: Close 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to             12A. Amount of pollen: None observed. Gynoecium: Present on             both ray and disc florets. Style length: About 5 mm. Style             color: Close to 145D. Stigma color: Close to 9A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been     observed to be tolerant to rain, wind and temperatures ranging from     0° to more than 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Elegant Yomarjorie’, as illustrated and described. 